Chinese firms considering covert arms transfers to Iran – report

Chinese companies in talks for possible arms sales, including of advanced cruise missiles, to Iran as ceasefire continues.

By World Israel News Staff

Chinese companies have discussed possible arms sales to Iran and explored routing the weapons through third countries to conceal their origin, according to a New York Times report.

The report, citing US officials, said American intelligence had picked up discussions between Chinese firms and Iranian officials about possible weapons transfers.

The proposed shipments could include missile systems and other military equipment, and at least one intermediary country under discussion was in Africa, according to the report.

US officials said it remained unclear whether any weapons had already been shipped or whether China’s government had approved the transfers.

Officials briefed on the intelligence differed on whether arms had already reached third countries, and no Chinese weapons appear to have been used on the battlefield against US or Israeli forces since the war with Iran began in late February.

The Times report said the Chinese government had not actively approved the transfers, but that talks of this kind were unlikely to take place without Beijing’s knowledge.

The report comes amid growing US concern over China’s role in helping Iran rebuild or sustain its military capabilities.

Reuters reported in February that Iran was close to a deal to buy Chinese-made CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missiles, which have a range of about 290 kilometers and are designed to fly low and fast to evade ship defenses.

“It’s a complete gamechanger if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”

An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told Reuters at the time, “Iran has military and security agreements with its allies, and now is an appropriate time to make use of these agreements.”

China’s Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of the reported missile-sale talks.

A Telegraph report said that four ships from China had arrived in Iran since the war began carrying precursor materials used to manufacture solid fuel for missile engines.

The report said the cargo may have included sodium perchlorate, potentially enough to support production of hundreds of ballistic missiles, though it remained unclear whether Iran’s damaged facilities could process the material into weapons.

The US has also targeted Chinese entities with sanctions over alleged support for Iran.

Reuters reported Monday that China rejected US sanctions against three China-based companies that Washington said had enabled Iranian military operations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing “will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.”

“The pressing priority is to prevent by all means a relapse in fighting, rather than using the war to maliciously associate and smear other countries,” Guo said.

Separately, the US Treasury announced sanctions this week against three people and nine companies for allegedly helping Iran ship oil to China through front companies linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Treasury will continue to cut the Iranian regime off from the financial networks it uses to carry out terrorist acts and to destabilize the global economy.”